Time
for a new Aggie football coach?
By Ron
Wallace
October 31, 2008 | When you talk about Utah State football
around campus or with the fans, it's a little disheartening
or frustrating right now. It's a tough topic because
of their current record and almost always you can't
help but talk about their coach, Brent Guy. Many people
question whether he's the right guy for the job or if
it's time to get a new coach who could turn the team
around and help them win games.
When it comes to head coaching jobs in college sports
it's getting to the point that if you don't show success
you either resign or you get fired. Granted they do
give you a couple of years to prove yourself and set
up your offensive and defensive designs, but it's still
a tough job. Coaches know this when they take the job.
That's why they don't have to take a head coaching job
and have other positions such as offensive coordinators,
defensive coordinators, secondary coaches, etc. In any
coaching position the coach has to prove himself, but
it's especially tough for the head coach.
If you look at what has been done since Brent Guy
came to Utah State University, the football team hasn't
been on the rise. The football team's record has been:
2005. 3-8; 2006. 1-11; 2007, 2-10; and presently in
this season 2008, 1-7. Unless things change dramatically
it doesn't appear that this year is going to be any
better than the last two years.
Of course there are a couple of things to consider
before doing any type of coaching change.
1) The record this year. Utah State played a brutal
schedule this year before conference play. Brent Guy
shouldn't be blamed for all of this because the team
has played some really tough games. Of course it would
have been nice to beat UNLV and if they would have had
looked more impressive in the other games by losing
by a smaller point margin.
2) Who would they get for a coach? Although some people
feel it is time to get another football coach there
aren't a lot of prospects that want to come to Utah
State University to turn the team around for what they'll
get paid (no offense to the university). However, it
can't hurt to give a prospect having success a try because
you have nothing to lose. Heck, it wouldn't even hurt
to give Ron McBride an offer who's currently coaching
at Weber State University. He did pretty good when he
coached at the University of Utah and is doing great
for Weber State right now.
3) Brent Guy has had some trouble recruiting. The
recruiting issue has been really tough for him. When
a team is down it is usually hard to convince star players
from high school to come play for your university over
another university that is having success. Also, some
of his players have left for other schools are just
decided to leave the team.
When you look at all of these issues you have a little
bit of understanding why the road hasn't been the easiest
for Brent Guy as a head coach. The question that needs
to be asked is when do you draw the line and give another
coach an opportunity.
A coach that everybody wants for their team has the
tendency to improve the teams record or bring it up.
At Utah State these kind of coaches usually start having
success then go somewhere else once they get a name
for themselves. One coach that comes to mind is John
L. Smith. He was a successful coach in the mid-90's
and it only took him three years to take the football
team to a bowl game. Unfortunately the following year
he left to coach for the University of Louisville.
It's easy to see in the newspapers and from sports
channels such as ESPN that they think Brent Guy is in
the hot seat unless things change. I know I don't have
any experience at coaching, but I do believe other coaches
should have an opportunity to show if they can qualify
for the position. Who knows, maybe we can get our next
John L. Smith and then people will actually be excited
about going to the football games again.
NW
MS
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